19 Lessons (and One Dirty Little Secret) from 20 Years in the Purpose Arena

Culturati Team
Nov 7 · 10 min read

By Haley Rushing, Co-founder and Chief Purposologist of The Purpose Institute and Co-author of “It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business is Driven By Purpose.” This article was originally published in Conscious Company Magazine Issue 23 and is being posted in Culturati Magazine with author and publication’s permission.

Chief Purposologist Haley Rushing shares the what, why, and how of purpose in conscious business.


More than two decades ago, we first began observing that companies operating with a greater purpose (beyond just making money for shareholders) were, in fact, creating systems where everyone flourished: employee wellbeing was high, customers were delighted, communities welcomed them with open arms, and shareholders profited handsomely.

Back then, profit-driven companies modeled the dominant ethos of business while purpose-driven companies were considered unicorns in the land of make-believe. Leaders were skeptical that companies could strive to make a difference and still succeed financially — surely, being overly concerned with improving the lives of others would come at your own expense (or so they thought). But as extraordinary purpose-driven companies like Southwest Airlines, Chipotle, Whole Foods Market, John Deere, BMW, Starbucks, and others have grown and prospered, the ascendance, acceptance, and proliferation of purpose has been nothing short of astounding.

After 20 years in the field, I’ve collected my fair share of insight into what “company purpose” really means, why purpose-driven business is so prevalent, and how you can not only determine the best purpose for your company but also leverage that purpose in service of all stakeholders. Here’s what I’ve found.

DEMAND FOR PURPOSE

1 / Humans need and yearn for purpose

2 / Employees thrive on purpose

3 / Society increasingly expects corporations to operate with a higher purpose

4 / Investors are promoting purpose as a driver of sustainable long-term performance

5 / Humanity needs the power of purpose-driven organizations to help heal the world

ADVANTAGES OF PURPOSE

6 / Purpose drives decision-making

7 / Purpose fosters innovation

8 / Purpose holds you steady despite a turbulent marketplace

9 / Purpose injects your brand with a healthy dose of reality

10 / Purpose attracts talent

11 / Purpose moves mountains

12 / Purpose is a path to high performance

13 / Purpose contributes to personal wellbeing

DISCOVERING, ARTICULATING, AND BRINGING YOUR PURPOSE TO LIFE

14 / Old wisdom holds true

  • Take an honest look at your strengths: What are you built to do? It’s one thing to want to do something; it’s another to have the wherewithal to actually do it. This capability is what gives credibility to your purpose.
  • Tune in to the things your people are most passionate about: What do they love to do? There’s always something that brings your people to life and makes them proud of what they do. Find it. This passion provides the fuel to fulfill the purpose.
  • Identify where you can have the most meaningful impact: What does the world need you to do? Get really clear on the problem, need, or issue that you want to address. This clarity ensures your purpose is worthy of the time, energy, and talent you’ll invariably put into it.

15 / Tips for articulating your purpose

  • Disney: “To use our imagination to bring happiness to millions.”
  • Chipotle: To serve “food with integrity.”
  • Starbucks: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
  • Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
  • Walmart: “To save people money and help them live better.”

16 / Remember: it’s your purpose

17 / Get your employees on board

18 / Determine where you are and aren’t fulfilling your purpose

19 / Set the purpose flywheel in motion

THE LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT LESSON

20 / The dirty little secret about purpose


Haley Rushing

She co-authored a Wall Street Journal bestselling book entitled: It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why every extraordinary business is driven by purpose. This book guides leaders through their own journey of understanding the genuine Purpose at the heart of the organization and teaches them how to harness that purpose in order to make a real difference in the world. She is also a contributing author to the Conscious Capitalism Field Guide: Tools for transforming your business.

Over the past 20 years, Haley has helped a number of the country’s most visionary and purpose-driven organizations develop business strategies founded on a strong core purpose and authentic core values, including companies like Southwest Airlines, Wal-Mart, Charles Schwab, Whole Foods Market, Interstate Batteries; non-profits like The American Council on Education, the Legacy Foundation, and the American Red Cross; institutions of higher learning, like Texas A&M, The University of Arkansas, and The University of Texas; and she has even applied the principles of Purpose to galvanize the leadership of Louisiana through a purpose-driven approach to economic development for the state.

Haley is a skilled researcher, a dynamic facilitator, an inspired speaker dedicated to catalyzing purpose driven organizations that are designed to make a difference and destined to make history.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Haley has a background in cultural anthropology from Vassar College and the University of Pennsylvania and studied alternative dispute resolution at The Wharton School of Business.

Culturati: Magazine

Culture powers performance

Culturati Team

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Culturati is a community of CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors and other c-suite leaders who practice & study culture building and share our play books.

Culturati: Magazine

Culture powers performance

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